Role of Magnesium and Vital Need for Accurate and Reliable Magnesium Measurements
Magnesium is extremely significant in human physiology. It is one of the most abundant cations in the body and, next to potassium, it is the most prevalent intracellular ion. Magnesium in its ionic form is essential to many physiological processes. It plays a vital and major role in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism by serving as an activator of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the transfer of energy rich phosphate. It is also essential as an activating ion for many enzymes involved in lipid, carbohydrate and protein metabolism. In muscle tissue, magnesium has a significant influence on neuromuscular apparatus. Magnesium ions are also essential for the preservation of the macromolecular structure of DNA, RNA and ribosomes; and in addition they play a vital part in bone formation and the maintenance of osmotic pressure.
The amount of magnesium in the body is particularly significant. Decreased levels of magnesium in the body produce muscle irritability which, if not corrected, can result in tetany (prolonged involuntary muscle spasms), which is clinically indistinguishable from that caused by decreased calcium levels, and convulsions. On the other hand, increased levels of magnesium have a curare-like effect, resulting in a loss of deep tendon reflexes, a loss of touch, temperature and pain sensation, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest.
Because of the vitally important roles magnesium plays in the normal functioning of life processes, it has long been recognized that it is necessary to be able to accurately and reliably measure magnesium levels in the body in order to aid the physician in diagnosis and treatment. In addition, it is correspondingly necessary that such results are able to be produced urgently in response to an emergency or STAT request from a physician. The ever-increasing recognition by clinicians of the need for frequent determinations of serum magnesium levels requires that the procedure desirably be capable of being performed by automated means. Of further importance, since blood samples obtained from pediatric or geriatric patients are usually very small, it is necessary that methods used for accurately determining magnesium levels desirably utilize no more than an extremely small sample volume.